Folding chair



March 18, 1952 E. C. HAKE FOLDING CHAIR Filed Dec. 20, 1950 i (ge 55 I f l 2+- d FIG. 5. f ff FIG. 3.

FIG. 6.

INVENTOR EMI. CAKE Patented Mar. 18, 1952 Kr11-viren .sr-Ares TENT OFFICE lFOLDING CHAIR Emil C. Hake, St. Louis, Mo.

Application-December 20,1950, Serial 'No.201,727

..1 Claim. 1

This Vinvention-relates lto folding chairs `as designed for conventional use, and the main object of the Iinvention is tojprovide a folding chair including a'seat, legs andiback, so constructed and assembled together in Iunitary form that 4these elements maybe easily and readily folded up together'when not in use, in very compact form vfor storage or transportation, `and likewise may be quickly and ea-sily opened outand set up 'for use 'as occasion may require.

Another object of the `invention `is to provide a folding chair including seat, legs `and back members 'foldably connected together, the seat 'member being ii'anged .downwardly around its margins to form and provide a shallow compartment within which the legs and back may he .compactly folded together 'for storage, .the 4pairs of legs atfront andback respectivelybeing-rigidly connected in spaced relation to move Yas a unit, and as such units being pivotally connected at .front .and back within the `pendant marginal flanges of the seat, brace-frames pivotally connected'to 'the leg units at frontend back in spaced relation to their upper Yends and arranged to swing'inwardlyat their free ends to the centrall portion of the seat at the under side thereof, means at the central underside portion of the seat for releasably locking the free ends of-said brace-frames to the seat for rigidly supporting the legs in open position relative to the seat as required in use, `the said back being so pivotally `connected at its lower end within the pendant `attention is now directed Cto .the accompanying fdrawings as exemplifying fa preferred .embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 iis a `frontal'elevation oi lthe chair as Lset up :and opened outfor use.

Figure A2 is asectional side elevation, ytaken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 V'is .arear elevation pf 'the ichair asset `up-and opened out 'for A-use.

Figure 4 is -a horizontal cross section, `on `the line -4-4of Figure l.

Vspaced relation from their upper Figure v5'is 'an under side viewof the seat,show ing the legs or leg-frames as folded down within the shallow compartment formed by the marginal flanges of Vthe seat, and showing the chair back as released from its operative position relative to the seat and extended out in alignment with the seat, in the process of folding the elements up together in compact form for storage or transportation.

Figure 6 is an under side view of the elements of the chair as folded up compactly together for storage or transportation.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the elements of the chair as folded up compactly together as shown in Figure 6, but in reversed position end for end as to Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a horizontal cross section, on the line tof Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a horizontal `cross section, on the line 9 9 of Figure 3.

Figure l0 is a cross section on the line lll-l0 of Figure 4.

n practising this invention I provide a rectangular seat 5, the same being formed of any suitable material, and having pendant marginal flanges 5a for forming and providing a shallow compartment 5b within which the frontal legs 6 and rear legs together with their respective brace-frames '8, i3, and the back-frame l with its locking frame I1, may be ycompactly folded for storageor transportation.

A pair of frontal leg-lugs Ga are mounted at the underside of the seat 5, in slightly spaced relation to the lateral fianges 5a of the seat, whereby the frontal legs t may be seated within the space .between the lugs and anges, and may 'be then pivotally anchored in place 'by means of heavy rivets I passed freely Athrough the upper ends o'f the lugs and anchored at Vtheir ends in the lugs and flanges.

A brace-frame 8 is provided for 'the frontal legs 6, the same including .a at and narrow 'cross bar 8a of .a length nicely to span .and iit .in between the frontal legs 6, and being formed at the ends with inturned tabs Bb, whereby this cross bar is .pivotally mounted in place between these legs by passing pins or .rivets Il through the legs in ends and through the inturned tabs Sb freely. A pai-r of flat and narrow side bars VEc'are rigidly anchored at their louter ends vonto the cross bar 8a, in substantially spaced relation andin transversealignment, and a similar flat and narrowlatoh bar iid is rigidlyanchored at .its ends onto the inner ends of "thesi'de bars 8e, thissaid latch bar being tilted so as to atly contact the under surface of the seat when the brace-frame 8 is swung up against the under side of the seat. A pair of flat lock-tongues 8e are rigidly extended in spaced relation from the inner margin of the latch bar 8d, these tongues being adapted to nicely yet freely seat within the space provided by the locklugs 8f which are rigidly mounted onto the under face of the seat 5 in triangular arrangement for providing the intermediate seating space 8g for the tongues 8e.

The rear marginal flange 5a of the seat 5 does not extend to or contact at its ends the ends of the side fianges of the seat, but these ends of the rear flange are turned perpendicularly inward as at 5d, for providing at each side of the seat open slots or recesses I2, thus forming sockets opening rearwardly for receiving the lower ends of the side bars of the chair-back, as provided and mounted in manner later described.

A pair of rear leg lugs 'Ia are mounted at the under side of the seat 5 in slightly spaced relation to the inturned ends 5d of the rear marginal fiange 5a, for providing sockets for receiving the upper ends of the rear legs 1, which are pivotally pinned therein in manner later pointed out.

A brace frame I3, similar to the frontal brace frame 8, is provided for the rear legs 1, said brace frame including a flat and narrow cross bar I3a of a length nicely to span and fit in between the rear legs 1, and being formed at its ends with inturned tabs I3b, whereby this cross bar may be pivotally mounted in place between the legs 'I in manner later pointed out. A pair of flat and narrow side bars I3c are rigidly anchored at their outer ends onto the ends of the cross bar I3a in transverse alignment, and a similar fiat and narrow latch bar I3d is rigidly anchored at its ends onto the inner ends of the side bars I3e, this said latch bar being also tilted so as to flatly contact the under surface of the seat 5 when the brace frame I3 is swung up against the under side of the seat. A pair of fiat lock tongues I3e are rigidly extended in spaced relation from the inner margin of the latch bar I 3d, these tongues being formed and adapted to nicely yet freely seat within the space provided intermediately of the lock lugs I3f which are rigidly mounted onto the under face of the seat 5 in triangular formation for this purpose, said space being indicated at I3g.

With the described elements thus arranged and mounted, it will be seen by inspection of Figure 4 that there is a transverse space at the under side of the seat 5 intermediate of the brace frames 8 and I3, as indicated at 13h. A pair of elongated latches I4 are mounted centrally and in laterally spaced relation within this space I3h by passing screws I5 down through the centers of these latches and seating the screws into the under side of the seat 5. These latches are thus mounted medially of the space 13h and in alignment with the lock tongues 8e and I3e of the latch bars 8d and I3d, and the latches I4 are of such length that when they are turned perpendicularly to the latch bars the ends of the latches will slidably pass over and bear upon the lock tongues 8e, I3e, thus rigidly holding the brace frames 8 and I3 in place for rmly supporting the frontal and rear chair legs 6 and 'I in opened position for use of the chair. Likewise when the chair is not in use the latches I4 may be turned free of the tongues 8e and I3e for freeing the brace frames, after which the chair legs and brace frames may all be folded down closely together within the compartment 5b at the under side of the seat 5. The supporting function of the brace frames 8 and I3 is clearly shown in Figure 2, where the rear frame is indicated in full lines as for supporting the rear legs, and in broken lines as released for folding up together with the other elements into the compartment 5b.

A chair-back frame I6 is provided, the same comprising a back-bar in the form of an inverted U, for providing a pair of spaced sidebars I6c, and a connecting top bar I6b, upon which is mounted a flat cross-plate I6c anchored at its ends to the side bars immediately below the top bar, and cut out centrally thereat to form a handle slot I6d. A lower cross slat I6c is likewise anchored at its ends to the side bars adjacent the lower ends thereof. Slideloops I6f are mounted in both transverse and vertical alignment upon the outer sides of the cross plate I8c and cross slat I6c, and a latch frame I'I is slidably mounted through the slideloops |61 of the cross plate I6c and cross slat I6c. For this purpose the latch frame I1 is constructed of three narrow and at slats IIa adapted to pass slidably and freely through the slide-loops IGf. These slats are accordingly arranged side by side in suitable spaced relation for aligning with the slide-loops IIf, and are anchored together by means of fiat cross-slats IIb at top, bottom and centrally as shown. -The top and bottom cross-slats are formed with handle-slots I'Ic, the upper slot being positioned so as to register with the handle-slot Id of the cross-plate I6c when the latch frame is drawn fully upward and into contact with the top bar lb of the frame I6, in the use and operation of the chair. The bottom cross-Slat of this latch frame is positioned somewhat above the lower slide-loops IBf of the cross-Slat I6c of the chairback frame I6, to enable this latch frame to be raised or lowered for the purpose of enabling this frame to function for releasably locking the chair-back frame I6 into upright position relative to the seat 5, in the use of the chair as such, and as will later be described.

The lower ends of the side bars I6c of the chair back frame I6 are offset outwardly as at Ig, and are thus seated within the sockets or recesses I2, as referred to in column 3, lines 12-20, inclusive. With the upper ends of the rear legs I also seated within the sockets between the leg lugs 'Ia and the inturned ends 5d of the rear marginal flange 5a of the seat 5, as pointed out in column 3, lines 12-20, inclusive, pivot bolts I8 are passed through all of these assembled elements, the same being suitably bored through for this purpose transversely, and whereby the rear legs and the chair-back frame and latch frame may all be pivotally turned down at the under side of the seat 5 when not in use, together with the frontal legs 6 as before described, this operation being facilitated by the offset lower ends of the side bars I6c, as indicated at I6g and which are pivotally seated within the sockets or recesses I2 formed and provided as aforesaid at the rear corners of the seat 5.

The rear brace frame I3 is pivotally mounted in place between the rear legs 'I by passing pins or rivets I9 through the legs in spaced relation from their upper ends and through the inturned tabs I3b freely, in manner similar to the pivotal mounting of the frontal brace frame 8. Thus 'means are provided for completely and compactly folding all of the described elements of the chair down within the compartment 5b at the under side of the seat 5.

As means for releasably locking the chair-back frame I6 into its desired upright position relative to the seat 5, when the chair is opened out for use, the frame I6 is thus rst raised and suitably positioned as for use. The latch frame Il is then lowered so that the lower ends of the slats IIa of this frame rest upon the upper side of the seat 5, and laterally elongated slots 5f are then cut through the seat 5 to form and provide keeper-slots for receiving and passing the lower ends of the slats l 1a. A suitably elongated keeper bar 20 is provided, the same being rectangular in cross section and formed with three narrow and flat sockets 20a elongated on the longitudinal axis of the bar, the same being of the same form and dimensions as the slots 5f of the seat 5 and likewise adapted to receive and pass the lower ends of the slats Ila when the latch frame l1 is lowered for the purpose of locking the chairback frame I6 to upright position for use. This keeper bar 20 as thus formed is rigidly mounted onto the under side of the chair seat 5, transversely alongside the rear marginal flange 5a thereof, and so positioned that the sockets 20a thereof exactly align and register with the keeper slots 5f of the chair seat 5. When not in use the chair-back frame may be released by pulling upward on the latch frame, thus withdrawing the slats of the latch frame from the keeper sockets of chair seat and keeper bar, after which the legs, brace frames and chair-back frame may be all compactly folded down together Within the compartment 5b at the under side of the seat. All as hereinbefore set out and described.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, and preferred structural features thereof, it is understood that minor changes may be made as desired, in respect of the structures shown, provided such changes fall within the scope of the claim. If desired, and as here shown. the rear legs may be joined together at their lower ends, as clearly shown in the drawings, by means of the connected cross bar 1b.

Y I claim:

A foldable chair comprising a rectangular seat formed with pendant flanges at its margins to provide a shallow compartment at the under side thereof, frontal and rear leg units pivotally connected with the seat at front and back and arranged to fold up inwardly together within the said compartment at the under side of the seat,

brace frames pivotally connected to the frontal and rear leg units in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof and arranged to swing and fold inwardly at their free ends into the said compartment at the under side of the seat, means at the under side of the seat within the said compartment thereat for releasably locking the said brace frames to the seat for rigidly supporting the leg units in open position relative to the seat, for the purpose of adapting the chair to use, a chairback frame pivotally connected at its lower side with the seat at the rear margin thereof, the said frame comprising a back-bar in the form of an inverted U for providing side and top bars, the side bars being pivotally connected at their lower free ends with the rear margin of the seat through recesses formed through the ends of the pendant rear flange of the seat, for enabling the chair-back frame to be raised to upright position at the upper side of the seat, and to fold down underneath the seat into the said compartment thereat, means for releasably supporting the chair-back frame in upright position at the upper side of the seat for adapting the chair for use as such, said means for supporting the chair-back frame in upright position at the upper side of the seat comprising cross members extended between the side bars of the chair-back frame, slide-loops mounted in both transverse and vertical alignment upon the outer sides of the cross members, and a latch-frame including spaced slats passed slidably through the slide-loops for perpendicular extension from the chair seat, cross slats anchored to the rst mentioned slats for locking the unit together, and keeper slots cut through the rear margin of the chair seat for receiving the lower ends of the slats of the latch-frame as passed through the said slide-loops, for releasably locking the latch-frame in upright position for use, when so desired.

EMIL C. HAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 789,338 Shortall May 9. 1905 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date s 206.151 Switzerland Jan. 16. 1940 

